JANUARY 2003 JOURNAL

as of January 23, 2003

We also hope you all got to read December's Journal and see all the nice snowman as it's gone for good! Poof, there it went. It's great to update your software she says, but then it goes and has this wonderful new way of saving and refreshing pages that Jo was not aware of.  So guess what January overwrote December!  But as if that was not bad enough, Jo goes and finishes January's update this morning.  That was all fine and dandy till Jo herself DELETES January.  Oh, when she realized what she did, she very calmly got up from the system, took a deep breath, and went out  to do some cleaning in the Resting Room.  Up she gets on the stool to clean out Lucy and Linus's home.  Things were still good, Lucy and Linus are not nervous by any stretch of the imagination and just curiously watch Jo clean their house.  Jo's done, jumps down off the stool, plop .... right into the big bucket of water and disinfection.... all over the floor it goes.  By now Jo's taking deep, deep breaths.  She goes to the computer again (after cleaning her mess of course!~)  and email her good friend about her not so good day so far.  What does her friend email back..... GET SOME ICE CREAM ... ALWAYS MAKES ME FEEL BETTER!  Well Jo laughed, felt better right away! 

So that was Jo's Scoop on where the Journals have been, Now ya wanta hear ours.  It's me here, Saucy Face, the little slate (mauve) cinnamon next door here.  Oh ya now that December's Journal is gone, I guess I'd better fill you in on the history of my name.  Well you see that little girl next door here.  Well her name is Sabreena.  She came here one day with her Mom, the first week of December to pick out a baby.  That baby was for her brother Evan for Christmas,  who has his new baby on his shoulder in the top picture .  They named him Stitch and I guess he loves to sit perched on Sabreena's head by the looks of things!  The week Sabreena was here, I was only bout 41/2 weeks old, just a going concern.  That Miss Sabreena took one look at me and called me a Saucy Face!  Imagine!  That was it, Jo dubbed me Saucy Face .  Spoiled...  No not me ............. I'm way beyond that!  Jo's convinced I haven't realized yet that I am a bird.  That's me trying to sneak under Jo's arm so maybe, just maybe she'll forget to put me to bed.  I don't even chirp for Jo (I do for Julie though!) I just cry to get what I want.  I don't try  to play with the other birds, I'd much rather be with the humans.  The other day I gave Jo a real good laugh.  I was chumming along on her shoulder (of course) and she fills a big tray of bath dishes for the lovebirds.  In my mind, the only proper thing to do would be to check them all out to make sure the water temperature was O.K.  So I did, jumped into one.... splashed around.... ya that one is O.K., on to the next..... jump in ... splash around.....yep,that ones O.K..... on to next.  I must have got to jump into six dishes before Jo stopped me.    After that I snuggled in under her sweatshirt to get dried off and tagged along while she finished her chores.  So do you want to hear where I think I'm going to live?  That's right,  Miss Sabreena gonna be my Mom and I wonder if that would make Evan my Dad?  That's Jesse in the picture here talking with me.

So what else is going on around here.   Donkey and Shreks (light blue and a green linnie) Mom called here the other night.  Could not figure out why Donkey was always hanging by one foot.  Green guy next door here explains that one.  Really there were three of them hanging, but by the time Jo got the camera, two of them had come back down the ladder. These guy are going concerns.  They all do their step ups right away, soon as you open their door they are out and just bouncing everywhere.  It almost looks like they are darting everywhere they go for the first 15 minutes they are out as they are so excited.  One would never believe that they get out about 5 times a day , and a couple of them times for a couple hours each sitting on their drawbridges (always with access to their food and water dishes).  Oh and that's Shrek next door here, after his bath.  Shrek's Mom emailed this to Jo the other day and Jo thought it was adorable. 

............... See the little whiteface cobalt sittin on Jo's arm, well it's me talking now.  Ya that's right Miss Sabreena is now one very happy little girl.  She was just here and picked up her little Saucy Face.  She's trucking around with Saucy Face on her shoulder and says to Jo "You'd better come and say Good Bye to Saucy Face" In other words - She's mine now!!  She was one very surprised and happy little girl.  Her Mom and Dad did not tell her till they got here about the surprise waiting for her. 

So now that Jo's Saucy Face is gone maybe it will be back to equal rights around here!  So what do you think of the little cinnamon pied now that they have almost all growed up.  There is a picture of them as a wee babe and then right below all growed up.  Some kinda cute huh.  The picture of the three babies are some whiteface cinnamons and a cobalt whiteface, just like me.  Really there are four of them there, but one's hiding.

So lets move on down to the big Resting Room.  What's happening there you ask.  Well would you believe Jo has some breeding in there now as the paint fumes are STILL in her Breeding Hut.  Oh she is not impressed!  Opal and Archie have some eggs and the rest are all getting ready.  Heck, Jo's real impressed as even Nana and Nigel are showing some interest now.  Little Pearl has some babies now and Bengie and Alley have gone to nest.  

Miss Betsy has learnt what it is like to spend the night out of her home.  But because of that experience she is grounded!  That lady loves being out and touted around on your shoulders, but look out should you get near her home.  Poof, she's gone like lightening!  A couple times she was out Jo and Lou were able to get her back in as they saw her out there eating from the dish on her door,  very quietly they sneaked up behind her and closed her door.  Well you should have seen the look of surprise on her face then!  So she caught onto that trick as well.  Now that's she's onto most all the tricks it takes forever to get her in.  After spending the night out, her freedom has pretty much been taken away for awhile!  Soon, hopefully she will have a friend.  Until then she has this toy she makes do with!

Queen Betty goes for her hormone shot next week.  There were three options for these doses, but all have their side effects.  Jo opted for the injection and is hoping to only have to give her one as prolonged use can cause liver damage.    Really all three of the options the vet gave Jo also carried risks of liver disease after prolonged use.   Right now for Queen Betty, it's the lesser of two evils as Jo has tried every single trick in the book, short of separating them, to stop her from laying.   She is very well fed, but Jo feels that this constant egg laying has to take a toll on her.  

Please welcome the newest edition to our house.  Henry is his name.  He's sittin in the picture here with Jesse.  You talk about one powerful and quiet little fellow!  Jo had a fantom lighting machine which she broke a part on over the holidays.  Jo was lost.  She just could not function without her vacuum.  Henry there, he is a commercial guy with an extra large width hose and suction ...WOW don't get in the way!!  Jo just loves him!  Matter of fact Louis's gone now to get some extra attachments for him. 

January 16, 2002  Boys oh Boys I sure hope Jo is not as slow all year in updating this Journal as she is so far this month!  Her excuse.........as usual .... busy with us, so I guess we should not complain!  

See that linnie sitting next door here with the cinnamon pied lovebird. Well that's me talking today.  Well, let's say I'm trying awful hard, but have not actually said any words yet for Jo.  A friend of Jo's emailed her first thing this morning to tell her that Stuart, her cobalt linnie from Jo, said "Good Morning Stuart"to his Mom and Dad, plain, plain as could be they said.  They were having their morning coffee with him and they near fell off their chairs when he came out with this!  But back to me and my three roomies (siblings) we are just at the going concern stage.  Full speed ahead.  Fast as Jo puts us back in our homes, we run right back out!  Much rather be out playing up on that ladder or spending time pooping on Jo's shoulders!!  Jo just thinks we are so intelligent as we all run right up that ladder, right to the very top we go,  run over, take a swing on the hemp swing (gotta do our daily workout you know), meanwhile Jo's talking to us...... we stop and look at her with these  "looks" just likes we "know" what she is saying to us  and smile at her (least she says we look like we are smiling.... us, we'll never tell).  But we can tell you what Ah,Ah,Ah means!  That means we are not allowed to nibble.  Humbug!  Most of us are spoken for, but I think there is still one of us not spoken for.   My friend there, the pied cinnamon ... I know he's waiting on a nice good home.  Course he's/she's not ready yet, but they are doing pretty good at weaning Jo says.  Then how about those beauties in the brooder.  Now they are just the cutest gaffers.  They are the cinnamon and cobalt whiteface.  The little cinnamons there in case your wondering are females.   I guess Jo thinks they are pretty cute, she's pasted enough pictures here of them!  Jo's got Little Pearl's babies up here now with us.  I think she better get to the Babies Page as they are not accounted for there yet either.

Jo's heard from Miss Saucy Face and Stitch this week and I guess they are doing just great.  Where ever Saucy Face goes, Stitch figures he should be right there soaking up all the attention as well.  They are well loved and well spoiled let me tell you!  Jo also heard from Ducky (Pig Pen's pied who went to live in Dartmouth) this week and she is still the head of the house there as well.  Her favorite spot .... curling up in her Mom's bun on the back of her head!  The hardest part of the day with her..... getting her to go to bed at night!   Jo got a really really nice Thank  You card in the mail this week with a box of chocolates from Ducky, she likes his new home so well.  We also heard from Sky and Skittles this week and they are doing just wonderful as well.  Oh ya and we also heard from our babies that went to Saskatoon this week and they are growing up fast and furious.  This lady wanted them for breeding so they don't get to get out and be spoiled as much.   Jo used to have a lady come and clean her house when she was still working at the office job she had and this lady had come in December to buy her Dad a baby for Christmas.  Her Dad and Mom had come to visit Jo with her last summer and see all her birds and babies.  Apparently this man just loves birds.   Anyways she has called Jo twice since and then came to get some more supplies for their baby and tell Jo how much her Dad LOVED this baby.  Says he (and her Mom) spend their own day with their new baby and talk to her constantly.  Now they are planning to get him another one for Father's Day as he wants a friend for his new pet. 

Let's see what else is going on round here.  Jo says it's real, real cold outside I can tell you that.  Lots of snow and lots of cold.  Good oh winter time!  Now if it was summer time Jo would be taking me for a little walk outside, I just know it. 

O.K. lets see what is going on downstairs in the Resting Room.  Well we got Bengie and Alley ready to lay eggs any day,  maybe today even.    Good thing as some of those babies are spoken for already too.  Opal and Archie have a nest of five eggs she is tending too and well, the rest of those linnies, they are still courtin.  Jo has a lady that has reserved two of the babies when they get born,  who would like to do an album of their new babies and their grown up stages.  Jo is going to help her out and put one together for her as the babies are developing and growing.  Then the best part, Jo plans on posting it here on the site as well.  Now won't that be exciting!  Day 1 to Day 60 progress and activities.   

January 21st and oh where do the days go!  It sure is cold outside.   See the little guy looking straight at ya about 2 pictures under the nest of eggs, well it's me here talking. I am a little seagreen of Little Pearl and Seawilly's and just a going concern!  Really we all are in my apartment.  I live with Flo and Foxy's tribe and we keep Jo just a hoppin believe me!  Friendly, well I hope to kiss a bird, we are!  Sundance and Cassidy's kids are pretty much the same as us.  Heck Jo hasn't even clipped them yet as they don't have an   interest in flying no where cept to Jo.    I'm sure that will change any day. That's one of them sitting with me down yonder here with me.  That's the little one of the clutch that Jo and Lou are still not quite sure what mutation to call it.  They know it's a cinnamon, but as the flights are darker than a normal cinnamons but lighter than a normal violet whiteface, they really don't know what to say just yet, kept beautiful!   But then Jo says that about all of us!      Now my and the rest of my roomies favorite spot, up in the babies bedding shelve, hiding behind all the nice soft blankies.  And poor Jo, it's a real chore getting us all in our apartment as we go two in, one out, takes Jo forever to get  us all back home.  Those linnie babies are still next door here and yes, they are just as bad as us.  They just love being on the top, climbing up the ladder and playing on the swings.  Really  I have to admit they do have more manners than we do.    A couple of those guys are trying REALLY really hard to talk.  Jo's listening close as she's sure they will soon.   Jo had got some pictures all ready to post here this afternoon and forgot to down load them, so later this evening they should be here.  

Then how do you like the adorable Sabreena next door here with her two new friends.  That's Saucy Face's and Stitch's new home, case you forgot.  She (Sabreena) is just in second heaven.  Her Mom was telling me the other day, she was wiggling her little finger for Saucy to step up onto.  Well I guess Saucy thought she wanted to play and took a nibble.  Sabreena was crushed.  She could not believe "her" Saucy Face would nibble "her"finger!  Of all people!  

Then the next show off under Sabreena is Jo's friend Charlotte's baby seagreen.  This baby was fathered by one of Jo's violets that now lives with Charlotte and her flock.  Nice wing span huh!  Poor Charlotte, Jo emailed her and teased her that she saw a speck of poop in one of her pictures on a cage.  Charlotte was horrified!  Jo just loves teasing.

Let's see now what else is happening.  Well I can tell you from looking at the pictures next door here, that obviously Opal did not stop at 5 eggs as Jo previously thought.  That's a picture of Opal and Archie and then their eggs right below.  EHD on those babies should be January 31st.  Did I tell you that Benji and Alley so far have three eggs.  They are the violet and slate (mauve) masked couple.  First time parents so we'll see how things progress with them.  Now if only Sunset and Buster would go to nest..... Jo already has their first clutch almost sold!  Jo just loves the colouring of the normal green masked and I guess a lot of other folks to as well.  Jo took some real good pictures of Sunset this week, Lou must have them posted in the Photo's Section by now.  Jo also took some real good pictures of those silver whiteface as well this week.  

Queen Betty went and got her needles yesterday. Jo's hoping to only have to give her one shot, but with Betty, who knows!  Marlene did research first before determining which needle they were going to give Betty, as they wanted one with the least side effects, but they would still rather only give her as very little as needed.  Jo's not big on pills and medicine.  She gives us lots of supplements from the Healthy Bird Company and her vet was telling her yesterday that she uses Probotic for birds that have been on antibiotics for awhile or have been under stress.  This stuff reestablished normal gut flora and a healthy digestive system.  Jo puts Formula Plus in our handfeeding formula and Holy Puff do we like it!  She's got special stuff she gives to the breeding fellows, and then other stuff for the guys that are moulting and then she's even got more stuff that she puts in our water to make sure it stay nice and healthy all day.   

O.K. gotta run for now as it's supper time, but I'll be back before bed time ....................

Next day and Mr. Fancy Pants there is taking a nap, so see that guy hanging  in the window, ya the green linnie, well it's me here.   Poor Lou, Mr. Fancy Pants is just driving him nuts!  He's now not wondering if this little one is now not carrying some silver in him.  One things for sure about this baby, its one beauty! What a day here today, everyone in the Resting Room is just yapping up a storm.  Yesterday they had bath dishes and today they say they all have big leaves of kale.  What's the big deal there you ask, Well to them kale is just as good as a bath.  They are SO funny to watch.  They try and roll in it, push their faces in it and wiggle all around.  Then after they have had all their fun in it, they tear it apart and eat it.  As usual, the linnies..... or most of them anyways, have more manners.  They just calmly pick it up with their tooties and eat it.  Jo gives them a lot of the stalks as well, cut into about 3-4 inch lengths to make it easier for them to get a grip on with those tooties.  Jo had me and my three siblings down with her for awhile this morning whilst she was doing some computer work.  We got to be too much and she gave up on the computer, then we got her undivided attention.  We win again!  She calls us all little turks and has a great time laughing at us.   She's now talking about this "spray" bottle that she is going to introduce us to tomorrow.  Seems she puts some lukewarm water in it and then sprays us?  She told me the big guys just love it.  I'll make sure you stay posted on this event.

Remember Tucker, the slate masked that went to live with Charlotte.  Charlotte emailed Jo a video last night of  Tucker doing her dance.  Jo must have watched it a dozen times, wishing there was more of it to watch it was just sooo funny.  Picture this, Tucker sitting on her cement perch, here comes Ray (her Dad) and immediately Tucker starts just a bobbing up and down, takes a poke at her toy to the left, bobbs a bit more, then stretches her neck forward and opens her mouth. Video stops!!  Hope Tucker got her treat!  Ray has her trained, the minutes she sees him every evening come into the Bird Room, she KNOWS she is going to get a treat and must do her dance for her Dad first.  That's one spoiled little girl.  Hopefully Bengie and Alley are going to have a little boy, so Tucker can get herself a boyfriend.

So far so good with Queen Betty.  Her interest has dimished today from the shredding of paper.   

January 29, 2003  and we're back.  See me, the silver in the slipper at the top of this page, Fancy Pants as Jo's dubbed me lately.   I get to finish off the month.  Why?  Well cause I guess I don't get to have my picture at  the top of February's Journal and I am socking!  Jo's gonna put some  other beauty's picture.   I heard her saying that.  Also heard her saying that she was also gonna do something different to the page and maybe the pictures too as it's Sweetheart Month.   Said she is even put some special prices on those babies (not me, cause I get to stay and live here YEAH) if anyone calls and says they want a Sweetheart Present.  (NO Charlotte!)

Has everyone been wondering why Tucker's name is here?  Member the green linnie, who is leaving next week by the way to her new home, was telling you bout Tucker's Dad spoiling her.  Well this is the video of it.  It may take a few minutes to download so be patient if you want to see it.  Just click here Tucker   ............................................  pretty funny huh!

Some of the babies up here are pretty smart, let me tell you.  Jo run out of CeDe and our new stock won't be here till the end of the week for us.  So what does Jo do but try and give us some of those egg granules made by Hagen.  We don't think so!  I didn't do it, but the guys next door, they picked all them out of the food dish, picked them right out from all the pellets, took them over to the other side of the wall and dumped them into their water dish.  Three days in a row they have done this now!  Jo's giving up and waiting for the CeDe!   

Today, I may as well tell you, oh Betsy downstairs snuck out as Jo was trying to give her a bath dish.   Jo continues on with her duties and has a nice blue bathdish in her hand.  Here comes Betsy... Now Jo wants me to tell you that she has NEVER seen Betsy take a bath by herself yet.... and lands on Jo's left shoulder.  Jo takes and puts the bath dish up to her.  Not far enough....... Betsy takes the dish in her beak and pulls it up further.... Jo cooperates and puts in higher up for her.........  Betsy jumps in and takes a good old bath and soaks Jo in the process as she shakes off!  Jo just hooted .............go ahead she says, tell me this bird is not spoiled!  Jo just hates the chase to get her back in though!  

And means I'm squaking, let me tell you that the needle trick on Queen Betty , well it did NOT work!  Good old Betty sitting up there,  proud as can be,  on three eggs so far!  Her and the vet lady figure it was cause they waited too long after seeing her flirting with Barney.  Hormones had already kicked in!  

Matt is acting up again as well.  How many times Jo has had to shoo Matt out of the nestbox to let Mattie in to lay her eggs and more importantly, sit on them.  Why is Matt like this, Jo has no idea but he sure figures HE should have control over that nestbox.   He sits there, with his head poked out the door, just as content as can be.  Little does he realize that Mattie is supposed to be sitting on the inside behind him, not the outside in front of him!   Jo was thinking today she should put a nestbox  in for each of them and see what happens.  She has nothing to loose.  As of supper time they were both in there, so Jo's just watching.  

Finally today Sunset spent most of the day inside the nestbox, so Jo's hopeful.  Benji and Alley, did we tell you, stopped laying at four eggs and just was just as glad.  This is their first clutch and Jo would have preferred they wait another couple months before breeding anyways.  Another couple as you know, with minds of their own.  

Jo set the silver whiteface pair, Misty and Noah,  up this week into breeding quarters.  She has not put the nestbox there  yet, she's just getting them ready.  

Opal and Archie, they should start hatching their babies this weekend.  Their the couple that Jo's gonna do the Album of a Baby Linnie on.  She has hardly left the nestbox, except to eat and normally she is a very good Mom to her hatchlings.    Jo's just hoping her new bands get here in time.  She has them coded TRA and that always take longer.  The day they hatch, she is going to call and see how long before she will receive her coded bands.  If it's too long she'll have to make the decision to order some that are not coded as they can get them to her right or use 2001 bands that she still has.  It is far more important really for the bands to say 2002, so she will probably call for a half dozen or so to get her thru. 

Back up to our Room, did I tell you about the normal green being in love with two linnies and vis versa?  They are all out to play together and soon as those doors are open, the lovebird is up on the linnies drawbridge.  One of the linnies gets right in front of the lovebirds face and just start chatting up a storm.  Next you see the lovebird sitting with a green linnie on either side, all three preening chatting away to each other.  It is so funny to watch.  Jo is going to try and get some pictures of the session tomorrow.  

Well Jo says she wants to try and get some work done on our Journal Cover page, plus she has to get some Hatch Certificates ready for  the guys going to their new homes next week.  I'm gonna try to get back and say goodnight.  

So I fell asleep!  Just to touch base with ya's before the month is over, as of noon today (January 30th) Opal and Archie have their first brand new baby!  So that's going to make our Jo really busy and a good month for you folks.  Not only a Sweetheart Journal but an Album into the life of a baby linnie!   Jo's kinda hopin that she will receive a nice Sweetheart Poem for all you folks to enjoy like the Christmas one!  Jo enjoys them so much, now SHE'S hintin around for more!

O.K. enough for this month, Jo says she's going to save the rest of the gossip for next month.   

TINY RASCALS AVIARY